GETTING STARTED - CONCURRENT ENGINEERING FOR A MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURER

Concurrent engineering replaces the traditional sequential new product development process with one where tasks proceed in parallel whenever possible and where there is early consideration of all aspects of a product's lifecycle. Concurrent engineering shortens new product lead times, improves quality, and reduces manufacturing costs. The first step in implementing concurrent engineering requires developing an appropriate company structure and culture to support cooperation among departments, including design, manufacturing, marketing, purchasing departments, and so on. The second step is developing effective computer communication and analysis tools to yield in-depth benefits. This case study describes our efforts to improve new product development at a medium-sized cable manufacturer. Few concurrent engineering principles were currently being used. But our efforts with 14 individuals on the company's relatively simple product resulted in implementation of the first steps of concurrent engineering within three months. Team members from various departments discussed each new product using a checklist for early input and consideration of details, a new method for scheduling trial runs was implemented, and a system was built to track individual projects and monitor the process itself, identifying causes for delay. Our early experiences lead us to conclude that concurrent engineering can benefit many large and small companies, those who are industry leaders and followers and those with highly technical, complex products or relatively simple products.